27 stage musicals based on movies
Pretty Woman: The Musical
The hit 1990 film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere has found a new home far from Hollywood Boulevard or the Beverly Wilshire — a musical adaptation of Pretty Woman opened on Broadway in August 2018, starring Samantha Barks and Andy Karl.
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Mean Girls
Get in, loser — Tina Fey's classic 2004 comedy has finally made its long-awaited move to the stage. Fey adapted her script for the musical, which began its Broadway in 2018. The principal cast includes Erika Henningsen as Cady Heron, and Taylor Louderman, Ashley Park, and Kate Rockwell as Plastics trio Regina, Gretchen, and Karen.
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Frozen
Broadway has gotten a bit chillier since Disney opened the stage adaptation of its beloved animated hit in 2018. Patti Murin and Caissie Levy star as sisters Anna and Elsa in the production, which opened in March 2018.
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Groundhog Day
The story may seem familiar: audiences relive Groundhog Day time and time again. First introduced as a Bill Murray-starring film in 1993, the story came to the London stage in 2016 and arrived on Broadway the following year.
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Amelie
Amélie, an adaptation of the 2001 romantic comedy, starred Hamilton alum Phillipa Soo during its 2017 Broadway run.
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Anastasia
Anastasia also made its journey to Broadway in 2017. The production, which originated in Hartford, Conn. in 2016, brings the 1997 animated film to the stage.
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Waitress
Keri Russell starred in Waitress in 2007, playing the title character in the dramedy. Eight years later, a stage adaptation of the film debuted, transitioning to Broadway in 2016.
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Hairspray
Audiences first met Tracy Turnblad in 1988, when Hairspray made its big-screen debut. The then-cult hit found a wider audience in the early 2000s, when a stage adaptation arrived in local productions and on Broadway. NBC also staged a live musical broadcast of Hairspray in 2016.
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Lion King
Now celebrating two decades on Broadway, The Lion King first came to audiences as a film. The Disney movie hit theaters in June 1994 and was adapted for Broadway just a few years later. In its first year of Tony eligibility, The Lion King nabbed awards for Best Musical, Best Choreography, Best Costume Design, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Lighting Design, and Best Scenic Design.
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Aladdin
It took nearly 20 years for Aladdin to make its way from the screen to the stage. The 1992 Disney flick, which made more than $504 million at the box office worldwide, hit Broadway in 2014 after getting its start with local productions.
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Beauty and the Beast
Moviegoers met Emma Watson as Belle this year, more than a quarter-century after the original Disney animated film was released in 1991. The story also saw a hugely successful theatrical run, hitting Broadway in 1994 and traveling across the world in local productions and tours.
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Billy Elliot
In 2000, Billy Elliot arrived on the big screen and earned three Oscar nominations. The drama became a musical a few years later, originating in London in 2005 and transitioning to Broadway in 2008.
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Bring It On
Audiences brought it in 2000 with the release of Bring It On. The Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union-starring movie was adapted for the stage in 2011, first running in Atlanta before going on tour and making it to Broadway in 2012.
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Elf
Fans first met Buddy the Elf in 2003, when Elf arrived in theaters. The Christmas flick brought in $220.4 million at the box office and inspired a stage adaptation. The musical made its debut on Broadway in 2010.
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Footloose
Nearly 15 years after Footloose had movie audiences dancing in 1984, the drama brought the funk to the stage. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1998 and is touring the U.K. again in 2017.
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Ghost
Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore had audiences swooning in a pottery scene for the ages in 1990, when Ghost hit the big screen. Decades later, the story came to the stage, first seeing production in England before arriving on Broadway in 2012.
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Kinky Boots
British dramedy Kinky Boots saw a theatrical release in 2005, making it to Broadway eight years later. The stage production has been a huge success, winning the Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Choreography, among others.
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Legally Blonde
Elle Woods found herself on Broadway in 2007, when Legally Blonde made its way from screens to the stage. The popular 2001 movie was adapted worldwide, seeing local productions and tours.
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Newsies
Disney's Newsies made its big-screen debut in 1992, starring Christian Bale, Bill Pullman, Ann-Margret, and Robert Duvall, among others. In 2012, the story arrived on Broadway, featuring new music by Alan Menken.
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The Producers
Mel Brooks picked up an Oscar in 1969 for his 1968 film The Producers. The film was adapted for the stage in 2001, hitting Broadway and soon making its way to other cities through national tours and local productions.
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Rocky
With Sylvester Stallone in the starring role, Rocky made its big-screen debut in 1976. The Oscar-winning film saw the lights of Broadway decades later, hitting the stage in New York City in 2014.
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School of Rock
Class was in session for Jack Black in 2003, when School of Rock saw a successful film release. More than 10 years later, the rock flick made its way to the stage, debuting on Broadway in 2005.
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Shrek
Moviegoers fell for a green ogre in 2001, when Shrek hit theaters with the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow in tow. In 2008, the film found its way to theatergoers, hitting Broadway after debuting in Seattle.
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Sister Act
Starring Whoopi Goldberg, Maggie Smith, and Harvey Keitel, Sister Act hit theaters in 1992. After bringing in $231.6 million worldwide at the box office, the film was adapted for the stage, debuting in California in 2006 and making it to Broadway in 2011.
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Sunset Boulevard
In 1951, Sunset Boulevard picked up three Academy Awards, earning acclaim for the Billy Wilder-directed film noir. Nearly 40 years later, the movie made it to the stage. Sunset Boulevard was held in local productions before making its Broadway debut in 1994, and recently returned to New York in a 2017 Broadway revival.
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The Wedding Singer
Nearly 10 years after the film made its debut, The Wedding Singer got to play for an entirely different audience. The 1998 movie, which starred Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, arrived on Broadway in 2006.
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Tarzan
Disney's Tarzan hit the big screen in 1999, aided by a soundtrack from Phil Collins. The story got the Broadway treatment in 2006, recruiting Collins for the music.